Wales Captain Dewi Lake Faces Extended Absence Due to Bicep Surgery, Potentially Missing 2025 Six Nations

Wales captain Dewi Lake, who has played 18 times for his country, is at risk of being unavailable for the entirety of the 2025 Six Nations tournament. This follows confirmation from Ospreys that the hooker will undergo bicep surgery, sidelining him for “months”. The 25-year-old hooker sustained the injury during Ospreys training sessions. Mark Jones, the club’s new head coach, verified that Lake’s condition necessitates an operation. Jones stated, “We were hoping it was the lesser of two extents and perhaps he could rehab it and play,” He further added, “It is going to be surgical now so it means it will be months rather than weeks.” While Ospreys refrained from providing a precise timeline for his comeback, Wales is scheduled to commence their Six Nations campaign against France in Paris on 31 January, concluding it at home versus England on 15 March. Wales head coach Warren Gatland, who is set to continue in his role despite the national men’s team’s run of 12 consecutive Test defeats, will assess alternative captaincy candidates and hooker choices prior to announcing his squad in mid-January. Potential replacements include Ospreys skipper Jac Morgan, who served as co-captain alongside Lake during the 2023 World Cup. Also considered is Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins, recently back from injury, who captained Wales in this year’s Six Nations tournament. Ryan Elias, a hooker for Scarlets, acted as Lake’s deputy during the autumn internationals but has been sidelined for the past three weeks due to a neck injury, though this is not anticipated to be a prolonged absence. Additionally, Cardiff front rower Evan Lloyd was part of the Wales squad in November, and Elliot Dee has not yet featured for the Dragons this season due to an ankle issue. Lake, who previously missed the last two Six Nations tournaments due to injuries, has been identified as one of Wales’ limited positive aspects over the preceding six months. He was appointed captain for the summer tour of Australia and retained the position for the autumn internationals, during which Wales suffered defeats against Fiji, the Wallabies, and South Africa.